BOOM! Studios and Diamond Comic Distributors announced hires and promotions Monday, including two new sales VPs.

BOOM! Studios has hired Josh Hayes, a 15-year veteran of Diamond Book Distributors, as its new Vice President of Sales.  Most recently, Hayes was Executive VP of DBD, with responsibility for day-to-day operations, since 2017 (see “Josh Hayes New Head of Diamond Book Distributors”).  Prior to that, he led DBD's ecommerce business development operation.

For its part, Diamond Comics Distributors announced the promotion of Mike Schimmel to Vice President of Sales.  Schimmel, a one-time Capital City Distribution management employee and sales rep, started at Diamond in 1996 as an Outside Sales Representative and has worked his way up through the ranks over the years.  In his new position, he will guide and develop merchandise sales.

In addition to Hayes, BOOM! has hired Stephanie Lazarski as Director of Operations.  Lazarski is a graduate of Cornell University’s Operations Research and Industrial Engineering program and has spent 20 years in the retail sector, including 13 years at H&M, where she was involved with increasing the company’s brick-and-mortar stores.

BOOM! also promoted Eric Harburn, who has been at the company since 2010, to Executive Editor. Harburn has been involved in the development of a number of successful launches, including Something Is Killing the Children, BRZRKR, and We Only Find Them When They’re Dead.

“From working with industry legends to discovering new voices, Eric has established a phenomenal reputation as one of the best and brightest editors in the industry,” Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon said in a statement included in the announcement.  “As an Executive Editor, Eric will continue to be the editorial force that he is and expand his role at BOOM!, helping bring to life even more industry-leading original series by some of the best creators in the world.”